Up until this evening I had always wondered why grapefruit were called “Grape” fruit. It never really made sense, but clearly the folks down in New Zealand, responsible for the creation of this 2009 Silver Birch, Sauvignon Blanc felt the need to express themselves with grapefruit.

2009, Silver Birch, Sauvignon Blanc — Octavin Home Bar 3L

Open Here

The Nose: Grapefruit

The Taste: Grapefruit

The Mouth Feel: Tart acidity and cheek watering, just a touch of a lingering mineral finish

The Color: Pale Straw and light

The Nitty Gritty:
13% ABV
$22-$24 per 3L

no specific notes about acidity, but let’s just agree there must be a lot!

The Verdict: While not supremely impressive or complex… (actually it’s very one dimensional, did I mention the grapefruit thing?) It is a reasonably drinkable wine, that tastes like grapefruit. I still have slightly over 2.75 liters of this left, so I may just experiment with it a little. I’m thinking a highball glass rimmed with salt and mixed with some vodka!

Looking down on Boxed Wine

In all honesty though, it’s cold and fairly refreshing. I’m guessing that this approachable wine might suit many a drinker looking to quench their thirst on a hot summer day. I did pair this wine with some spicy chicken tacos and I must say that it fared decently with this dish.

In Vino Veritas: This wine was provided to me as a professional sample with the intent of review.

Hey Sam,
I haven’t done much mixology with wine. I guess I’ve had agave wine margaritas and sangria, but never really mixed hard stuff with wine…. Oh and I guess vermouth is really wine too, so Martinis.